Legislators appointed to executive posts from Cory to Duterte admins

Legislators have been appointed to executive posts by President Rodrigo Duterte, among them Senator Gregorio Honasan II and Representative Karlo Nograles. But past presidents have also tapped legislators to join their Cabinet.

Here's a look at these appointees.

Senator Gregorio "Gringo" Honasan is the second sitting senator plucked out of the Upper Chamber and given a Cabinet post by Duterte. Last year, end-termer senator and Duterte's 2016 vice presidential running mate Alan Peter Cayetano was appointed as foreign affairs secretary.

Davao City First District Representative Karlo Alexei Nograles is the fourth incumbent member of the House of Representatives appointed to the Duterte government.

Before Nograles was designated Cabinet secretary, the President appointed Las Piñas City Representative Mark Villar as public works secretary, Villar's wife and DIWA party-list Representative Emmeline Villar as justice undersecretary, and then KABAYAN party-list Representative Harry Roque as presidential spokesperson.

Past administrations since 1987 have done the same—appointing incumbent lawmakers to executive posts. In the six administrations post-martial law, a total of  35 legislators—six senators and 29 congressmen—gave up their congressional seats to accept presidential appointments.

In 1987, President Corazon Aquino picked freshly elected Senator Raul Manglapus to be her foreign affairs secretary. She also appointed three congressmen—then Davao City Third District Representative Luis Santos as local government secretary in 1987; then Batanes Lone District Representative Florencio Abad as agrarian reform secretary in 1989, and then Pangasinan First District Representative Oscar Orbos as transportation and communications secretary in 1990.

Her successor, President Fidel Ramos, also appointed four legislators to his Cabinet. In 1993, Ramos chose then Senator Teofisto Guingona Jr. as his executive secretary.

Edelmiro Amante also served as Ramos's executive secretary before Guingona and, like the senator, was plucked out of Congress: he was Agusan del Norte Second District representative before he was appointed.

Then Surigao del Norte Second District Representative Robert Barbers was appointed by Ramos as DILG secretary in 1995 while then Sorsogon First District Representative Salvador Escudero was designated agriculture secretary in 1996.

President Joseph Estrada, in his abbreviated term, appointed one incumbent legislator to his Cabinet—then Capiz First District Representative Mar Roxas was asked to helm the Department of Trade and Industry.

Among the Presidents since 1987, Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo appointed the most number of legislators to other posts.  At least 19 were appointed during her nine-year term: three senators and 16 congressmen.

During her first year in office in 2001, 11 then sitting lawmakers were appointed the secretaries of agriculture, defense, education, foreign affairs, transportation and communications, public works and highways, and agrarian reform.

They include Guingona, who was again handpicked to leave his Senate seat in 2001, when Arroyo rose to the presidency following Estrada's ouster and needed a Vice President. He was also appointed as foreign affairs secretary.

Arroyo appointed two more incumbent senators as department secretaries during her term: Senator Raul Roco to DepEd, and Senator Blas Ople to DFA.

President Benigno Aquino III appointed two: then Cavite First District Representative Joseph Emilio Abaya as transportation secretary in 2012 and Samar First District Representative Mel Senen Sarmiento as DILG secretary in 2015.

After Arroyo, Duterte had the most number of appointees from Congress. —KG, GMA News

Tables prepared by Jessica Bartolome